Deliver Us from Evil
From the Catechism of the Catholic Church, Simplified
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Delivering All (2850)
This last petition is also included in Jesus' priestly prayer, "I ask you to protect them from the evil one" (Jn 17:15). We must pray for the deliverance of the whole human family. Our interdependence in this battle with sin becomes our solidarity in Christ's Body.
Satan (2851-2852)
This evil is personal (not abstract). It refers to Satan, the angel who opposes God. The devil (dia-bolos) "throws himself across" God's plan and his work of salvation. Satan ("a liar and the father of lies") is the "deceiver of the whole world" (Jn 8:44, Rev 12:9). Through him, sin and death entered the world. By his definitive defeat all creation will be freed "from the corruption of sin and death" (Eucharistic Prayer IV). "The one begotten by God he protects and the evil one does not touch him. We know that we are of God and the whole world is in the power of the evil one" (1 Jn 5:18-19). "The Lord keeps you from the evils of your adversary the devil. One who entrusts himself to God does not dread the devil" (St. Ambrose).
Cast Out (2853)
At his death, Jesus won this victory over the "prince of this world" (Jn 14:30) and Satan "was cast out" (Jn 12:31, Rev 12:10). Then, Satan pursued the woman but she was preserved from sin (Immaculate Conception) and from death (Assumption). He was "angry with the woman, and went off to make war on the rest of her offspring" (Rev 12:7). Therefore, we pray, "Come, Lord Jesus" (Rev 22:17) since only his coming will deliver us from the Evil One.
From All Evils (2854)
We ask to be freed from all the evils (past, present, and future) caused by Satan. In this petition, the Church brings all the distress of the world before the Father and asks for perseverance in awaiting Christ's return. She anticipates the final gathering of everyone in Jesus for he has "the keys of Death and Hades." Jesus is the one who "is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty" (Rev 1:8, 18). "Deliver us from every evil and grant us peace... so we might be free from sin and protected from all anxiety" (said at Mass after the Lord's Prayer).
"For the Kingdom, the Power, and the Glory are Yours, Now and Forever" (2855)
This restates the first three petitions (the glory of God's name; the coming of the Kingdom; the power of his saving will). Satan falsely attributed kingship, power, and glory to himself (Lk 4:5-6), but Christ restores these to the Father until he hands over the kingdom to him. Then God will be all in all.
By saying "Amen," we ratify all that is contained in the prayer (St. Cyril of Jerusalem).
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